Toronto’s city council has banned plastic bags throughout the city beginning in January of 2013. What does this mean for Toronto businesses and what will they ever do? The answer is adapt. A business that is too stuck in their ways and refuses to adapt will eventually cease to exist. It’s a dog eat dog world out there and a business must adapt and change to the changing world around them. Toronto is an increasingly environmentally friendly city with Green Bins being implemented in the early 2000’s. This ban is simply the next step forward for a large city with a green thumb and a plastic bag problem. Businesses need to think of the positives associated with this ban on plastic bags.
1) People love “Green” businesses. You look better in a consumers eyes because if they buy your products they feel better about themselves. If they feel better about themselves they now associate that good feeling with your products.
2) Larger businesses can work out the kinks of a plastic bag ban much earlier than their competition in other cities. Your business is now a first mover. When the ban is implemented in other cities, and it will be, you will be two steps ahead of the competition. If you’re a smaller company you can benefit from the increase of options for plastic bag alternatives that large companies will create.
3) If you previously had your company logo plastered all over your plastic bags your company will no longer be associated with the trash on the side of the road. Remember people generally don’t see who littered the plastic bag, they just see your company logo and environmentally destructive trash.
4) Brown bags have many advertising options. A great idea is to print coupons or other promotions directly onto the brown bag. Since it’s paper, customers can easily cut out the coupon. This is just not possible with plastic bags, plus they can’t hold themselves up like brown bags can, making your branding more visible.
5) Reusable bags are an amazing way to advertise. It’s a walking advertisement and because it’s a cool reusable bag you can count on customers using it multiple times which increases your brands exposure. Brand exposure is worth much more than the cost to supply a reusable bag.
So there you have it, there are some really great reasons for not using plastic bags. Research your customers, the options your company can afford and move forward, because kicking and screaming isn’t going to help your overall image or the planet.
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Carolyn Jobse
Production Manager
Mystique Brand Communications
